Correction: The original story attributed ‘Framework + dream = success’ to Catrena Bowman. The attribution has been updated to reflect that the phrase was used at the summit by Tracy Stokes.
Framework + dream = success.
This is the equation for success that Tracy Stokes, senior consultant of diversity, equity and inclusion for St. Elizabeth Healthcare and founder of the Tracy Nicole Brand, uses in her own life.
She, along with many other women, shared their knowledge at the eighth annual Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce’s Women’s Initiative Regional Summit at Newport’s MegaCorp Pavilion. This year’s themes were mentorship, professional development and networking.
The day-long event featured a roster of established career coaches, entrepreneurs and nonprofit executives providing their audience with strategies and advice on advancing their careers. The summit included presentations on networking, overcoming perfectionism tendencies, workforce development and more.
Designed for women in all career stages, the summit ranged from young professionals to mid-career and senior-level professionals and entrepreneurs.
“As people are raising in their roles within firms and companies in their own companies as entrepreneurs, we are also bringing people along with us and grooming them,” summit chair Melissa Lutz told LINK nky in October.
Regarding mentorship, Shaw Solutions CEO Erica Shaw said it was important for professional women to build a strong support network of individuals with different perspectives. In turn, this can help the mentee become a more well-rounded professional. It also helps with dynamic decision-making. When you can critically analyze multiple perspectives and then use them to inform a decision, you become an asset to more people.
“I will say, the first thing is just realizing that you deserve to have the life that you want,” Shaw said. “You deserve to have the career of your dreams, the life of your dreams and it is about surrounding yourself with people that can accelerate you getting there.”
Kim Webb, executive director of the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky, said she felt the lines between ‘professional’ and ‘personal’ mentorship sometimes become blurred. She advised mentors to be direct with their mentees and vice-versa, asking questions that are concise so the nature of the relationship is properly understood. This way, it can be mutually beneficial for both parties.
“You really have to do that internal search before you have those conversations and ask those questions,” Webb said. “What do I want out of this? Where’s my future going, and what aspect of my life am I looking for you to help me?”
Sometimes, it might be more beneficial to hire a business coach rather than saddle a mentor with questions that are better suited for a coach. Shaw noted that a coach is required to be unbiased because their job is to focus on bettering you professionally. Mentors provide guidance and wisdom, while coaches offer structured, goal-oriented assistance for specific objectives.
“I think the times when we shift over to coaching is when we need something extra so when we feel like we need extra support or I need someone that is completely unbiased, has only my interests in mind, and that is there to support me,” Shaw said. “That can be a thought partner with me, help me come up with strategies, help me get out of things like mindset barriers, and to help me just move to the next level.”
Shaw suggested having multiple coaches and mentors. This, again, allows professionals to consider the greatest number of perspectives.
“I have multiple coaches, as well as I have multiple mentors and so those coaches again, they are completely unbiased,” Shaw said. “They are only thinking about me and what my interests are. Whereas I would say sometimes with mentors, they’re thinking about ‘this is the way that I’ve done it, here’s how you can do it.'”
On networking, career coach Beth Conger advised attendees to be intentional. This can save time and effort while also getting down to brass tacks. Additionally, Conger encouraged attendees to be brave.
“Sometimes we have fear,” Conger said.
Avoiding complacency is another tip shared by Conger. She told an anecdote that a man she knew from North Carolina lulled himself into complacency by attending networking events with the same people over and over again. Even though he was networking, he already knew everyone. This was wasting his time. Her advice? Continue to push your own limits.
“He got really comfortable seeing the same people again and again,” she said. “He was missing an opportunity.”
